Systems for automatically raising, lowering, and storing flags are well known in the art. Provision is commonly made for automatically operating such systems to lower or otherwise protect the flag in response to darkness, precipitation, and/or excessive wind velocity, and to thereafter display the flag when the ambient condition(s) are favorable. The following United States patents are representative of the prior art:
Nelson U.S. Pat. No. 2,327,056 provides an overhead tube used for storage of a flag.
Hutchins U.S. Pat. No. 3,047,258 provides a device for collapsing a parachute, which includes a funnel-like component having a ring of lead surrounding its leading edge.
Donkersloot U.S. Pat. No. 3,418,967 describes an automatic control system for lowering a flag to a stored position, which system includes climatic-response devices that operate according to light, wind, and precipitation conditions; manual control is also indicated.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,737,749, to Schmit, provides a selector switch that allows either manual rasing of a flag or automatic control, the latter utilizing, for example, a photocell to respond to prevailing light conditions.
Murdock U.S. Pat. No. 3,923,001 contains similar disclosure, but also teaches the utilization of a moisture sensor for moving a flag to a stored position within a tube.
In accordance with Barnes, U.S. Pat. No. 4,079,555, a control unit is provided which has both light and moisture sensors, as well as manually operated switches, to control furling and raising of a flag.
In Ebbeson et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,102,289, an elongate, collapsible sleeve is disposed for being drawn downwardly to contain and furl a boat sail; a rigid, funnel-shaped member is attached to the lower end of the sleeve. Fretwell Jr. U.S. Pat. No. 3,861,343 and Svensson U.S. Pat. No. 4,262,617 are similar.
Smyly, Sr., U.S. Pat. No. 4,972,794, discloses a system in which a housing, coaxially mounted on a flag staff, is elevated to contain the supported flag; the housing is in the form of a hollow cylinder, open at the top and closed at the bottom.